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“I feared this day would come, and I don’t like it. What are you afraid of, Sabina? It’s not Lucas, is it?”
“No, not my brother, never Lucas. I can’t return to that house and tell Lucas the truth because I don’t know myself. It’s complicated, and please don’t ask any more questions. I have to go, Lucy.”The line went silent, and my blood turned cold.
What the fuck? What truth don’t I know? And why is she so scared? I swear, as I fucking breathe, if anyone dared to touch my little sister, I would cut their dick off and shove it down their throat.
“Boss, you alright?” Gio questioned.
“No, but I will be. We have a problem with my sister. Pull up the specs of her apartment and the surrounding area.”
“We have eyes on the entire complex,” he confirmed.
“Yeah, but my sister’s nickname might as well be Houdini. She’s great at disappearing, and she’s fast on her feet. I should never have left her knowing something was wrong with her from the first moment she saw me at her graduation. Does she hate me that much?”
“Nah, no way, not that girl. I think it’s more our way of life than you. It’s not an easy one for most, and the ones that are in it for life live with no attachments.”
“You really believe that?”
“Boss, I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
“Point taken, but we are not talking about me; we are talking about Sabina. Why is she so afraid of returning home?”
“I don’t know, but you’ll find out soon enough. Lorenzo just texted; she’s on the move and in the woods behind her apartment.”
“Fuck! Let’s go. He will chase her right to the road, and then we will take her.”
Gio gave me another concerned look but knew better than to question me further. She’s my sister, and I love her. I will not allow my anger to hurt her any more than she’s been already. Now, I have to figure out the reason behind her sudden departure.
CHAPTER ONE
Sabina
Everything I owned and brought from Italy when I began school here is now packed in boxes. I had no time to go through them to pick and choose what I wanted to bring. The precious pieces I hid in the floorboards wouldn’t matter to anyone else, but they meant the world to me. A few photos of my mother, brother, and my traveling documents. I had the real ones in a safe place; only Lucy and Pierre knew. The forged papers would be the ones I would take with me now. To an unsuspecting eye, you’d never believe these were not the originals. Although I’ve had the papers for a while now, I wanted to believe there would never be a reason to use them. However, my brother’s arrival changed that way of thinking, and any normal semblance of a peaceful life I tried to have was over.
I took one last look around the apartment and felt sad that I had to say goodbye to the happy memories I found here. Happy times with Lucy and Pierre, remembering Pierre tryingin vain to teach Lucy to speak French and how she massacred the language. “Dammit, Lucas, why couldn’t you have left me alone?” I said, wiping my tears away. I had to shelve my heartache because I was running out of time and needed to leave.
I stuffed everything I cared about in my leather duffle bag and then looked over to the table where I had placed my degree. I opened it, and more tears filled my eyes as I saw my name embossed on the certificate. Before the tears could fall, I closed it and placed it in one of the boxes. It’s silly to hope to see my degree again, but maybe I will. I’ll hang it proudly on a wall in a home of my own, and not in one Lucas was forcing me back to.
I opened my bedroom window and climbed down to the landing. I could jump down to the courtyard from this height without getting hurt. I took a breath and started to walk down the long path that led out of the complex, but then I felt a strange tingle as if goosebumps were rising along my arms. I knew this area pretty well since I ran the trails every day. So, without looking back, I took off for the woods that led to another path. If I made it out, I would reach the main road. I’d be safe since it was out in the open.
I heard hurried footsteps and the sound of broken twigs behind me. I run five miles daily and know I’m faster than whoever follows me, so I picked up the pace. I felt dread wash over me as I said,“Please, Lucas, let me go. I can’t go back there.”I silently prayed to myself as I reached the clearing. I bent down, placing my hands on my knees to catch my breath. I looked around, not hearing or seeing anyone, and began to walk down the sidewalk. I should have known from experience to trust that I would never be safe. He violently grabbed me as the massive hand covered my mouth to stifle my screams. A car pulled up before I could kick my way free, and he forced me inside. The sound of tires screeching rang loudly through myears. I was released and then shoved back into the seat, where I came face to face with my brother.
“Sabina, how nice to see you again,” he said with amusement and darkness in his eyes.
“Please let me go,” I whispered through my tears.
“And why would I ever do that? You disappointed me, Sabina, I trusted you, and you lied to me. Now, tell me where you were running off to. Because I know it wasn’t to visit your friends, Lucy and Pierre, right?”
“Lucas, I’m begging you, please don’t hurt them.”
“Hmm, you wound me. What makes you think I would hurt your friends? I don’t even know them.”
“You know what they mean to me, so don’t try to make me believe otherwise. You track my every move, right brother?”
He sighed and then raised the privacy screen. “You are my sister, and I love you more than I can ever express. Yet, you are afraid, and I need to know why that is. You were fine until I mentioned going home to Italy. Is it father? Is he the one you fear? Or something else? I won’t ask again, so you must tell me now.”
“There’s nothing to tell, Lucas. I’m a grown woman who has been making her own decisions, and I am choosing to say no to your offer and not return to Italy. I like it here, and I want to stay.”
“I disagree. You are my sister and far from grown, and I would watch your tone when speaking to me. I run this family, and you are in it, so by rights, I run you too. You will return to Italy with me tonight and with no further objections. I meant it when I said you have nothing to fear regarding Papa. He will not utter a word to you without my permission. You have my promise, Sabina, and I have never lied to you, unlike you, who lied to me tonight. You would run away from our family and me, go out into the world, and not be protected. What were you thinkingabout being so reckless with your safety? Did it ever occur to you while planning your escape that you could be targeted by one of my enemies and taken? Hmm? Cat got your tongue? Right, as I thought. No, you didn’t think further than jumping out of the window and running as fast as possible to escape me.”
